Question

read the passage.
with my backpack full of notes about my essay and borrowed books, i trudged through the slush to the library. after months of note - taking, i was eager to compose my thesis. the library’s fourth floor housed a computer lab, and i could hear the hum of fifty computers as i exited the elevator. unfortunately, there were no available computers, and among the political posters on the wall, a makeshift list had been added for people awaiting a turn at a computer. i added my name to the list and considered returning to the typewriter in my dorm room.
what can readers infer about the time period of the passage?
○ textbooks were too expensive for students to afford.
○ college students were expected to publish their writing.
○ college libraries were gathering places for student activists.
○ personal computers were not the norm among students.

Explanation:

To determine the time period, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The passage doesn't mention textbook costs, so this is not supported.
• Option 2: There's no information about college students being expected to publish their writing, so this is incorrect.
• Option 3: The passage doesn't talk about college libraries being gathering places for student activists; the focus is on computer access, so this is wrong.
• Option 4: The narrator considers using a typewriter in their dorm and has to wait for a computer in the library, implying that personal computers were not common among students at that time. This matches the context of the passage.

Answer:

D. Personal computers were not the norm among students.